Sayu Bhojwani

Dr. Sayu Bhojwani is a civic entrepreneur and democracy futurist dedicated to advancing the leadership of Black, Native, Indigenous, and immigrant women. Born in India and raised in Belize, she is a proud New Yorker who made history as New York City’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs. As a 2023 Open Society Foundations Equality Fellow, Dr. Bhojwani focused on how to better support women leaders of color and was recognized with the 2024 Groundswell Inaugural Vanguard Award as The Self-Care Guru.

She is the Principal of Collective Future Consulting, advising organizations, women leaders, and donors on strategies for building a more reflective and inclusive America. She serves as board chair of the North Star Fund and treasurer of the Center for Fiction and as an adjunct professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and the City University of New York's Graduate Center. 

A recognized expert on diversity and democracy, Dr. Bhojwani is the author of People Like Us: The New Wave of Candidates Knocking at Democracy’s Door (The New Press, 2018) and a TED speaker. In 2019, CQ Roll Call named her one of the top three people outside to watch outside of the Beltway. She has frequently appeared on outlets like NPR, CNN, and MSNBC and writes regularly on topics related to women’s leadership, immigration, and democracy. On her Substack, No. 1 Immigrant Daughter, she reflects on these critical issues.

Dr. Bhojwani’s career as a social entrepreneur began in the 1990s with the founding of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA), the first U.S. organization dedicated to supporting youth from the Indian subcontinent. In 2010, she founded New American Leaders, where she served as President for 10 years, helping to recruit over 500 first- and second-generation Americans to run for and serve in local, state, and federal office. In 2020, she launched Women’s Democracy Lab to support women of color in elected office and led the organization for two years.

Dr. Bhojwani serves on the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, convened by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and contributed to the landmark report Our Common Purpose. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Miami, an M.A. in English Education, an M.Ed. in Comparative Education, and a Ph.D. in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is writing her debut novel and a nonfiction book on belonging and identity.