Shaleen Sheth, one of the co-founders of the nonprofit media group Women Who Win, said that the group aims to amplify a wide range of women’s voices.
The organization was founded three years ago by three women in Lynnfield and inspired the creation of a community for women to build their own stories.
What sets this platform and its stories apart from others is not just the type of stories, which typically can’t be found elsewhere, but also their accessibility, Sheth said.
“We have readership in 80 different countries,” Sheth said.
The three co-founders include Sheth, who works on content creation and overseeing the website; Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, an experienced podiatrist and advocate for women; and Dr. Manju Sheth, a physician, advocate, and Shaleen Sheth’s mother.
Earlier this year, they published “Women Who Win: Real Stories, Real Women: Inspiration, Resilience, and Ambition from Women Around the World,” which contains more than 100 stories shared by women through this platform.
Shaleen Sheth said it was her mom who inspired her to get into this kind of field.
“My mom inspires me a lot,” Shaleen Sheth said. “She’s been a storyteller since I was 12. She’d interview South Asian leaders, and I used to tag along with a notebook in hand. I saw the power in storytelling through her.”
Together, the three have been able to highlight stories written by women all over the world, including some local ones as well.
“Some Boston themes you see will leak into every story,” Shaleen Sheth said, as all three of the founders are based in the area.
Shaleen Sheth dived deeper into the book’s content, discussing the importance of uplifting voices that are often underrepresented.
“The best way for people to get inspired is to learn from someone you can relate to,” Shaleen Sheth said.
She followed with an explanation regarding one woman’s story in the book, which was about how she had focused so much on her career that she put her health to the side, even when dealing with breast cancer.
“The stories are relatable and will resonate with an everyday woman,” Shaleen Sheth said.
Shaleen Sheth also gave advice for young girls interested in a similar career path.
“The most important thing I’ve seen being the youngest and starting a new platform is credibility, and when people are trusting you with a life story, you have to be empathetic, very empathetic, and thorough, and detail-oriented,” she said.
The three founders have also made sure to care for the communities around them and empower women in ways beyond storytelling.
One notable project that Shaleen Sheth mentioned was the Shoe Project, which provided women in a shelter in Somerville with the essential resource of shoes.
Their work and commitment have brought them a number of awards, such as the Leadership in Women Empowerment Award from the Indian Medical Association of New England and the Unsung Heroes Award presented by the Massachusetts Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Shaleen Sheth was also named as a finalist for the Digital Woman for Good Award in 2022.
You can learn more about their book, program, and goals at https://www.womenwhowin100.com/.
