Shireen Santosham

Shireen Santosham is a Lecturer in Management at Stanford Graduate School of Business, specializing in Political Economy. She holds roles as Executive Director of the Nextdoor Kind Foundation and Head of Social Impact at Nextdoor. Her career includes leadership in digital equity initiatives, including serving as Chief Innovation Officer for San Jose, where she spearheaded the Digital Inclusion Fund. Santosham holds a BA/BS from the University of Pennsylvania, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Education:

• BA in International Relations, University of Pennsylvania (2001)
• BS in Finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2001)
• MPA in International Development, Harvard Kennedy School (2009)
• MBA, Harvard Business School (2009)

Research Interests: Focuses on technology's societal impact, digital equity, and urban innovation. Her work spans global digital divides, gender access disparities, and smart city strategies. Recent efforts include advancing vertical farming through Plenty and advocating for equitable broadband access.

Awards:

• Top San Francisco Changemaker (Builtin)
• Moxie Award (Builtin)
• Top 25 GovTech Doers, Dreamers & Drivers (twice)
• Top 50 Women in Tech (StateScoop)

Grants & Advising: Secured multimillion-dollar partnerships in San Jose to address the digital divide. Advises on ag-tech sustainability and urban food systems through Plenty's expansion projects like the Compton farm initiative. Collaborates with global organizations like the GSMA on gender equity in technology.

Labs/Teams: Leads Stanford's Future of Cities course, integrating her public-sector and corporate experience. Active in policy advocacy through roles like Council on Foreign Relations membership and UN conference participation.