Simi Shah

Simi is the Founder and CEO of South Asian Trailblazers, an award-winning media platform, community, and agency that elevates leading South Asians and convenes them. Through their eponymous podcast, Simi is known for her captivating interviews with trailblazers like ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia and Actor Kal Penn. Through her Agency, Simi represents clients across the globe and consults as a Brand Strategist — advising budding startups and high-profile individuals on strategic media, marketing, and growth opportunities. She most recently served as Chief of Staff to Indra Nooyi, the former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, during the launch of her memoir, My Life in Full.

Beyond media, Simi devotes her time to angel investing, speaking, and writing. In recent years, she served as Head of Business Development at venture-backed media startup, Paperwork Studios. Prior to that, she worked as an Investment Analyst at Audax Private Equity.

Simi is deeply passionate about her communities. She is 1 of 8 elected Marshals representing her Harvard Class and is an active alumna of Yard Ventures, Girls Who Invest, and the Harvard Asian Alumni community. Simi holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Simi is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

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