About

Meera Shenoy is a recognized pioneer in job-linked skilling of rural, tribal and youth with disabilities from underprivileged families. She is Founder of Youth4Jobs (www.youth4jobs.org) which focuses on mainstreaming youth with disabilities in the workplace. Her work is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi who said,?The best way to find yourself if you lose yourself in the service of others.? She leads a team of 160 ,10% of whom have disabilities, inspiring them with a powerful vision - A job to one member of the family takes the entire family out of poverty in a sustained manner. In just seven years, Y4J is the largest organisation in this space with a presence in 15 states in 32 locations. About 500 companies ranging from HSBC to Amazon work with Youth4Jobs because of its pan India presence, pipeline of educated and less educated youth and its services which help companies begin their journey of inclusion. 

The work has won the highest government award from the President of India and international awards like the Asia winner of MIT Inclusion Innovation Challenge and Zero Project given at the UN headquarters in Vienna. The work won the highest government award, Empowerment of Persons with disabilities from the President of India in 2018. It is the only organization to win twice the Zero project award as a global innovator at the UN headquarters at Vienna. She is the only person from India inducted to the Happiness Hall of Fame, US; recieved the Women Super Achiever award by the World HRD Congress ; Shell-Helen Keller award, Rotary award amongst others. She has been invited to speak at prestigious forums like TedxBerkeley, Australia Skilling Association, Unesco Singapore etc.

Her recent book ?You Can-Be Smarter And Wiser? is an attempt to invert the world ? get the non-disabled inspired by the ability in disability. Released at the Jaipur Literary festival, the worlds largest festival, it is in its second edition and a Hindi version was released by the Minister of Social Justice in New Delhi. 
Her new start up is Not Just Art (www.notjustartglobal.org), the first portal to give sustained Livelihoods to artists with disabilities. 

Her previous work is setting up for the rural development department, government of Andhra Pradesh, EGMM, the countrys? first government Skilling Mission. She led this for six years and the scale and market -led work influenced government of Indias? skilling policy. She has consulted with the World Bank,UNDP across south east Asia UNDP. Meera Shenoy relaxes with books and music.