Kiran is a passionate social entrepreneur and leader, dedicated to racial and gender equity through advocating, championing and enabling more women of colour to have greater access to the world around them.
Starting her journey as a volunteer mentor in schools ten years ago, Kiran is now the Co-Founder and CEO GirlDreamer, a UK based multi-award-winning non-profit organisation that created greater access to leadership and wellbeing opportunities for young women of colour to tackle social and economic inequity. She has established herself as a thought leader in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has been recognised for her decade long contributions to the field.
GirlDreamer has been selected as one of Creative England's 'top 50 most creative, innovative and disruptive companies in England’ and is a ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ honouree in the Social Impact category, whilst Kiran herself has been recognised as finalist for ‘UN Women UK - Person of the Year’ and awarded ‘Best Digital Social CEO’.
In addition to her work with GirlDreamer, Kiran acts as Chair of the Board at Home Girls Unite - an organisation supporting eldest daughters from immigrant backgrounds and was appointed a European Leader at the Obama Foundation in 2022. Outside of work, Kiran enjoys activities such as archery, playing the piano and following the practices of Eastern mindfulness through ancient Indian Ayurveda.
GirlDreamer's achievements are impressive, including being named one of Creative England's top companies and receiving recognition from Forbes. What do you think sets GirlDreamer and you apart in terms of their impact and innovation?
Thank you, and what a great question! To be very honest, I believe my approach as a CEO and the way GirlDreamer is shaped and led by our incredible team, is to take a holistic and authentic approach to everything we do.
I’m definitely what they call an “accidental CEO” as I never had any plans or intention to be in such a role. My background is community organising and grassroots support services, so my passion is for people and justice. Therefore, our organisation is very people-centred and we understand the root causes of issues we tackle from both a lived experience lens and a systemic one. This allows us to deeply understand the community we serve and be more creative and innovative about how we create solutions. I suppose a combination of these things are what is being recognised by the likes of Creative England and Forbes.
Can you describe the turning point or experience that led you to transition from a volunteer in the youth and education charity sector to becoming a co-founder and CEO of an organisation focused on social change?
Sure, and I actually remember it quite vividly. After wrapping up a couple of years of voluntary work in the charity sector, my best friend, who is also my fellow Co-Founder of GirlDreamer, and I found ourselves having a very profound conversation in the midst of winter about our experiences as women of colour growing up in the UK and what that meant for us personally, professionally, socially and culturally. At the time, there seemed to be a lack of spaces or places we could go to seek the tailored support, guidance and resources to change our trajectory or access what was necessary for our journeys ahead.
We pondered on how widespread this could be and how many other young women like us felt this way. Pairing that with our charity sector experience which highlighted the systemic issues that marginalised communities faced with access to opportunities, resources, education, employment and support, it ignited a passion to do something about it. Although we had no previous experience, no degrees, no qualifications, no networks and no money, we just registered the organisation one day in 2016 and took a leap of faith. Thankfully, seven years later we can confidently say the risk paid off!
Could you elaborate on the term "accidental CEO" and how your voluntary years played a role in shaping your journey into a leadership role?
Yes, of course. So the term “accidental CEO” usually refers to an individual who becomes the Chief Executive of a company unexpectedly or without initially pursuing or planning for the role and that definitely reflects me!
Whilst working in the charity sector and spending time volunteering, I didn’t ever see myself as someone who would set up and lead an organisation like the ones I worked for. Especially as my original plan was to go to university and become a dentist, being in the voluntary sector alone was already unplanned, so the thought of one day being the CEO of my own non-profit definitely felt far away.
However, those years spent in the charity sector were vital in my leadership journey. It was during that time that I understood where my strengths lay, how to harness them and where I could make a difference. I learnt more about myself, my passion for social change, for being of service to others, my desire to take initiative and my approach to collective impact. Shortly after volunteering, I became a team leader and managed a group of volunteers to undertake the same role I previously had. It was during this time, I really understood the importance of values based leadership and how much I enjoyed working with a team to make positive social change! So although I never planned to be a CEO or set up my own organisation, my journey seems to have been heavily shaped by my voluntary years.
Co-founding GirlDreamer with your best friend sounds like a unique and inspiring experience. What prompted the decision to start this organisation, and how has your friendship influenced the organisation's growth?
Unique and inspiring are definitely the right words to describe it! As mentioned above, we had that profound conversation at a time where we were both at a crossroads on our paths and so understanding that we had an aligned vision was a bit of a lightbulb moment!
I think the fact that neither of us had any professional experience running an organisation made it easier for us to be somewhat lighthearted in our approach and more patient with the process. After registering, we worked backwards. Learning about processes, policies, governance, fundraising, marketing, strategy, programming, impact measurement, client relations and all those things that it takes to run an organisation was something we figured out as we went along. Our strengths were in communication, creativity, community organising and first-hand social and systemic experience of the issues women of colour face in the UK. We combined these to tell our story and the stories of the community we were now set up to serve and allowed ourselves grace and time to learn the operations of a company.
Our friendship is definitely at the core of the organisation and the safe space we create between each other is something that is felt throughout GirlDreamer. The trust, the compassion and the authenticity we are able to have as friends has helped shape our organisation to become one where those values are felt externally and allowed us to grow. We know where our strengths and weaknesses lie in ourselves and each other and we don’t have to filter that in ways you might have to with colleagues or general professional environments. This mutual respect and understanding means we are able to grow and strengthen our organisation in different ways and even represent the organisation differently.
We’ve definitely had to navigate the personal and professional balance of things and set clear boundaries so that our friendship and business can continue to flourish and thrive independently of each other. There’s a lot of conscious effort required and I could absolutely write a whole book about this, but I’ll stop here!
The evolution of GirlDreamer from receiving funding to becoming a grant funder is impressive. Could you share more about the motivation behind this transition and how it has impacted the organisation's mission and reach?
Absolutely. As we grew and gained experience, we realised that we had the potential to make an even greater impact by directly supporting initiatives aligned with our mission.
Despite this desire, we didn’t really know the exact way we could make the transition as we were a small organisation ourselves. However, when the pandemic struck in 2020, the British charity sector was faced with a reality that “9/10 people of colour-led small organisations were at risk of closure within 3 months during the pandemic”. Knowing the significant negative impact this would have on the sector and local communities who depend on these organisations, we decided we needed to help in some small way. We fundraised a small pot of £10,000 and distributed that as emergency funds to small, struggling organisations to get them past the three month mark.
After that, our efforts were recognised and support to continue our own fund were offered. We officially started the ‘Dream Fund’ at GirlDreamer and since then have received private and public donations and funding from the likes of the BBC and the Alliance of Gender Equality in Europe. Thanks to this collective effort, we have grown the fund size to six figures, been able to support over 50 organisations over the past three years and on track to support another 50 over the next two years with larger grants and a capacity-building programme.
By providing grants to other organisations and individuals who share our vision, we're able to amplify our impact and support a broader range of initiatives. This transition has allowed us to play a role in nurturing the growth of various projects and programmes that might not have received sufficient support otherwise, especially from larger institutions.
This change has significantly impacted our organisation's mission and reach. As a grant funder, we've been able to support causes in areas such as technology, immigration, healthcare, education, the arts and wider civil society beyond our immediate reach. By supporting initiatives nationally and soon, globally, we've seen our impact multiply as these projects create ripples of positive change in their own local communities. Our role has evolved from being solely focused on our own programmes to becoming an enabler of change across a wider spectrum.
Through this transition, we've forged valuable partnerships and collaborations with organisations and individuals who share our passion. It has expanded our network and allowed us to learn from a greater range of projects and experiences. Ultimately, our goal remains to create greater access to leadership opportunities for young women of colour to tackle social and economic inequity, and becoming a grant funder has been a strategic step in that direction.
Could you tell us more about your involvement with the European Leadership Program of the Obama Foundation and how it contributes to your inspiring leadership journey?
Sure! I was selected as an Obama Foundation European Leader as part of the 2022 cohort and represented the United Kingdom, along with three other incredible leaders. I underwent six intense and inspiring months of leadership development and insight into the wider ecosystem of social change that is taking place all over Europe.
As someone who’s main experience and focus has been the UK, it was deeply impactful to understand this broader picture. During my time on the programme, I found learning from my fellow leaders to be something that has continued to shape my own journey and was incredibly impactful. Whether it was the courage of those tackling global issues, to the bravery of those risking personal safety for the betterment of humanity or the humility of those turning personal trauma to societal power, each person I met taught me something that I now carry with me on my own leadership journey.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for GirlDreamer in terms of its impact on women of colour-led initiatives and the broader community? How do you envision the organisation's growth and influence in the coming years?
This is always a fun question to answer! We plan to expand our reach and impact by further nurturing the projects and initiatives we support through our grants. Our aim is to provide not just financial assistance, but also mentorship, resources, and a platform for these initiatives to thrive.
In terms of the broader community, we envision GirlDreamer becoming a hub for innovation and change. We want to be at the forefront of conversations about race and gender equity, access to opportunity, systemic change, and representation. By engaging with communities, businesses, and institutions, we aim to drive conversations that lead to tangible improvements in the lives of women of colour.
In the coming years, we see GirlDreamer expanding globally, with chapters and partnerships in various regions. This expansion will allow us to tailor our efforts to the specific needs and challenges faced by women of colour in different parts of the world.
Ultimately, our goal is to leave a legacy. We want to contribute to a world where women of colour are not just seen and heard, but also have equal access to opportunities, resources, and leadership positions. By remaining dedicated to our mission, being adaptable to change, and fostering a community of changemakers, we're confident that GirlDreamer will continue to grow in influence and impact, leaving an indelible mark on generations to come.
Comments