Head of Market Insights and Strategic Initiatives, Essmart
Shanina currently serves as the Head of Market Insights and Strategic Initiatives at Essmart, a B2B rural distribution company bridging the gap between impactful technologies and rural markets. In her current role, she assists enterprises in validating their product market fit and devising GTM strategies tailored to the nuances of the rural Indian market.
Prior to Essmart, Shanina gained experience working with government agencies, think-thanks and non-governmental organizations. She is passionate about driving systems level change and has extensive experience in the international development sector. She was selected as a ONE Youth Ambassador in the Netherlands and participated in transformative events like the MIT-D-lab Summit. Her professional journey spans continents, from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa and across India, where she delved into both grassroots and policy realms.
Shanina is a UWC Scholar with a B.A in Political Science from Bates College (U.S.A) and an M.A in Development Management from the Turin School of Development in Turin, Italy. In 2022, she was also a member of the Woman Impact Alliance cohort, a leadership program for young women leaders in social and environmental change. These academic pursuits, coupled with her extensive on-the-ground experience, underscore her commitment to driving positive change at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, rural livelihoods, and global development.