What it Takes to Feed 1.8 Million Children Every Day

By Sanjiv Goyal Featuring Vandana Tilak

In this article you will learn about:

• Breaking the cycle of poverty
• The Akshaya Patra Foundation
• The importance of educating girls
• Female leadership
• Giving back

The Woman Behind The Akshaya Patra Foundation

Vandana Tilak never imagined she would be a CEO, especially not in her fifties. Looking back on the varied experiences in her life, it is clear to her that everything prepared her for the role she is in today as CEO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation an NPO committed to feeding 1.8 Indian school children each day.

Her preparation started as a young child when Tilak trained and toured with her mother who was a bandleader and a classically trained singer. By the time she left home, Tilak had performed in over 800 shows.

Tilak is the embodiment of pivoting to purpose and staying flexible. Since settling in LA in the eighties, she has changed careers and industries every few years. She is the type of person who requires new challenges and variety to feel fulfilled.

Before Akshaya Patra, Tilak went from classically trained singer to graphic designer to photographer to filmmaker to stay at home mom to working in a family-owned engineering firm to real estate, and the list goes on. She has an impressively diverse CV that makes you…