Ritu Nadkarni and Kunal Nadkarni are strong supporters of the nonprofit and philanthropic communities promoting literacy and education for underprivileged children, empowering South Asian survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and creating and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and families.

Ritu Nadkarni is a global sales/business development leader, and strategic marketer. She lives by the motto: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” With over 22 years of experience working with some of the top healthcare systems, including Mayo Clinic, Merck vaccines, and Biogen, she has produced multi-millions of dollars in revenue and has garnered numerous awards.

Currently, Ritu is the National leader for the business unit and responsible for building Site of Care strategies and teams. Her passion for population health initiatives and nurturing high-performing diverse teams has been a driving force behind her success.

Ritu credits her cultural sensitivity and ability to work well with various constituencies to her experiences of living and working on three different continents and growing up in a multi-generational household. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona, where she graduated as a Beta Gamma Sigma honor society member. She also has a master’s degree in international business from the Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Trade in Pune, India.

Apart from being a successful businesswoman, Ritu is an active contributor in her community and is involved with multiple initiatives related to education, diversity, and inclusion. She served as an HISD School Board member and is currently on the board of Ronald Mc Donald House (RMHC). Additionally, Ritu plays an advisory and consultative role for many Southeast Asian nonprofits, including Child Rights and You (CRY), and Pratham. These organizations all focus on opening doors for young girls through educational and vocational opportunities.

Ritu is a fellow of the prestigious American Leadership Forum, class XLIX, and has been an impactful mentor, sponsor, and ally to many aspiring leaders, especially women of color. She is an active participant in national mentoring programs such as TENT that supports LGBTQ refugees. Ritu also has led the strategic committee at American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and has supported and worked closely with healthcare students. Her passion for mentoring young women in pharma/biotech is evident through her role as a mentor for Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, Houston chapter. Ritu has been a guest lecturer for graduate courses at Texas Woman’s University MHA program and has been invited to become an advisor for TMCx to help prepare new entrepreneurs as they set up healthcare services in the Texas Medical Center.

A national speaker and podcaster, Ritu uses her voice to create awareness and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ritu's commitment to excellence and her passion for creating a better world make her a true inspiration to all those who know her.

Kunal Nadkarni is a highly accomplished global strategic marketer and commercial P&L leader with over 22 years of experience spanning four continents and working with some of the Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries. Currently, Kunal serves as the Vice President, Global Strategy and Commercial Excellence at Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company.

Kunal is a graduate of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, where he was one of the youngest to be admitted to the Executive MBA program. He also holds two additional master’s degrees, one in international business from the Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Trade in Pune, India and another in commerce and finance from the University of Pune, India.

Throughout his career, Kunal has worked with top energy and industrial companies, including General Electric (GE), Baker Hughes, U.S. Silica, Ashland Chemical, and Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Co. He is a proven top- and bottom-line effective leader delivering consistent results and building high-performing global diverse teams in demanding public and private equity-backed enterprises. Kunal has received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions.

Kunal has a high emotional quotient (EQ) and owes his cultural sensitivity and ability to work well with various constituencies to his experience living on two continents and working across five continents. Kunal was nominated for, and accepted into, the prestigious American Leadership Forum, class LIX.

Apart from building a successful career in the professional world, Kunal is an active contributor to the community. He is involved in multiple initiatives related to the education and betterment of underprivileged children and women survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Kunal also serves on the board of Pratham USA, one of the largest South Asian philanthropic organizations whose broad goal is to eliminate illiteracy from India and break the cycle of poverty. Additionally, Kunal plays an advisory and consultative role with many worthy nonprofits, including Child Rights and You (CRY), Magic Bus, and SOS.

Ritu and Kunal live in Houston with their two children. In her spare time, Ritu enjoys participating in half-marathons, long-distance bike rides (MS 150), and writing for business publications like the HuffPost. During his leisure time, Kunal enjoys playing the guitar, participating in marathons, and playing sports. They both enjoy traveling and spending quality time with their family.

Together, Ritu and Kunal cofounded the organization, Empowering Kids for Future, which provides support and opportunities to children from the community.

It is for all the reasons mentioned above, and many more, that Ritu Nadkarni and Kunal Nadkarni have been named a Top 20 Power Couple Impact Maker for 2024.

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2024 Top 20 Impact Maker Award