Mathangi Swaminathan is the founder of Parity Lab, a global social enterprise building a healing-centered ecosystem to end gender-based violence by equipping survivors and allies to lead change. A Harvard alum, Echoing Green Fellow, Acumen Fellow, World Bank Scholar, and award-winning researcher, she has spent over a decade at the intersection of leadership and systems change—scaling innovation across borders.
Through her second venture, Voyageurs Consulting, Mathangi helps mission-driven organizations design data-informed systems—from performance evaluation frameworks to trauma-informed leadership models.
Her work has reached over 70,000 people and has been featured on NPR-affiliated podcasts and in leading global publications. She believes healing isn’t just personal—it’s the foundation of true, systemic change.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I start my day by grounding myself—setting gratitude and intentions, repeating affirmations, and focusing on my breath through a short 10-minute meditation. That quiet moment helps me center before jumping into work around 8 a.m., where I typically begin with emails and map out my top priorities. My workday runs from 8 to 4:30, with protected no-disturb zones and regular micro-breaks to stay productive and focused. After that, I transition straight into caretaking for my 18-month-old daughter until bedtime. Balancing leadership and motherhood is a daily practice, but presence, structure, and small rituals keep me anchored.
How do you bring ideas to life?
My best ideas usually come to me when I’m in my quiet zone—reading, reflecting, or just sitting with a cup of chai. Once I feel that initial spark, I like to write it down and flesh it out before bringing it to my team for feedback and brainstorming. I’m not someone who likes leaving things halfway; once I commit to an idea, I take it from start to finish. That combination of solitude, writing, and collaborative thinking helps me bring ideas to life with both depth and momentum.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that excites me is the growing movement toward healing-centered leadership—where mental health, trauma-informed practices, and emotional intelligence are being recognized as core to effective leadership, not just optional add-ons. More organizations are starting to understand that real change isn’t just strategic—it’s personal, relational, and deeply human. Seeing this shift gives me hope that systems can transform from the inside out.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that helps me stay productive is setting “no-disturb” focus zones in my calendar. During these blocks, I turn off notifications, shut out distractions, and dive deep into creative or strategic work. I also break up my day with short pauses to reset—just five minutes of breathwork or a walk can make a huge difference in keeping my energy and clarity up throughout the day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t worry so much! Your emotions matter—treat them like data pointing to what your soul truly wants. You don’t have to earn your worth by being the “good girl.” That label is overrated and, honestly, a form of control. Stop trying to please everyone. Trust yourself more—you’re already enough.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you.
I believe that many countries are drawn to aggressive, authoritarian forms of leadership because so many of us are still carrying unprocessed trauma—especially from childhood. Whether it’s emotional neglect, physical violence, or sexual trauma, these early experiences shape how we relate to power. When we haven’t healed, aggression can feel familiar… even safe. It’s not that people love cruelty—it’s that, for many, it’s what they’ve known. Until we address that collective trauma, we’ll keep recreating it at the societal level.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
One thing I do consistently—and recommend to everyone—is create space to be quiet with yourself every day. Even just 10 minutes of stillness, reflection, or breathwork can change the tone of your entire day. It’s where I find clarity, make better decisions, and reconnect with why I do what I do. In a world that rewards constant doing, this small act of being is where the real power lives.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I’m a writer, speaker, founder/CEO of Parity Lab, , a global initiative that equips survivors and allies to lead healing-centered solutions to gender-based violence. I am also a principal consultant at Voyageurs Consulting, where I support organizations with trauma-informed, data-driven systems. I’m also a mom to a very young child. So yes—overwhelm is familiar. But I’ve learned to see it as a signal: it usually means I’m not in my body—I’m stuck in the past or spiraling into the future.
When that happens, I gently bring myself back to the present. I set a timer for four minutes to write freely, or take twelve deep, intentional breaths, or sit still in meditation for just five minutes. These small acts create just enough space for clarity to return. It doesn’t solve everything, but it shifts everything.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that’s helped me grow is intentionally building allies. I’m an introvert, so I naturally thrive in one-on-one connections rather than large networking spaces. Over time, I’ve learned to lean into that strength—building deep, authentic relationships with people who truly align with my mission. These strong, trust-based connections have opened doors, created opportunities, and sustained my work in ways that big visibility alone never could.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One failure in my career was pushing myself into burnout—constantly doing what the work demanded, while ignoring what my body and heart truly needed. I believed I had to keep showing up, keep producing, keep pushing forward, especially because the mission felt so urgent. But I learned the hard way that you can’t separate the work from the person doing it.
Burnout forced me to stop, to recalibrate, and to listen—really listen—to my body and emotions. The biggest lesson? Sustainable impact starts with internal alignment. Deeply listening to the body and heart isn’t optional—it’s vital. Now, I treat rest, boundaries, and embodiment as essential parts of my leadership, not luxuries.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
One business idea I’d gladly give away: a platform or service that helps grassroots leaders and social impact founders access trauma-informed leadership coaching in their local language.
Most leadership tools and coaching programs are designed for English-speaking, urban, corporate contexts. But the people doing some of the most powerful, high-stakes work—especially in rural or marginalized communities—need support that meets them where they are, culturally and emotionally.
This could be a hybrid model: short videos, reflection tools, and community-based peer coaching, all rooted in emotional safety and healing practices. I’d love to see more people build tools not just for impact—but with care for the people driving it.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Honestly, one of my favorite tools is ChatGPT. I love doing a brain dump when an idea feels messy or convoluted in my mind, and having it help me organize my thoughts. Sometimes I’ll flesh out a rough idea and go back and forth with it—asking questions, addressing doubts, and strengthening the core concept. It’s like having a super patient thinking partner who helps me get clearer, faster.
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
The best $100 I recently spent was on painting supplies. I took a few sessions with an artist and realized how deeply painting and colors are connected to healing. It’s become more than a creative outlet—it’s a way for me to process emotions, reconnect with my body, and step into stillness.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast from which you’ve received much value?
Yes—Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a book that’s had a huge impact on me. It unpacks how data across everything from urban planning to medicine to disaster relief is designed around men—and how that oversight systematically excludes women. As someone working in gender equity and systems change, it gave me language, evidence, and validation for things I’ve experienced and witnessed for years.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I’m not a big movie person, but I’ve been rewatching Brooklyn Nine-Nine lately. I love its humor—it’s light, smart, and exactly what I need to unwind. Plus, the diversity of characters and how it reflects everyday relationships and workplace dynamics makes it feel grounding and relatable.
Key learnings:
- Healing is foundational to leadership: Sustainable impact starts with listening to the body, honoring emotions, and integrating healing into how we lead and build.
- Authentic, one-on-one connections matter: Especially as an introvert, intentionally building deep relationships has been more powerful than broad networking in growing my work and influence.
- Overwhelm is a signal, not a flaw: Noticing when I’m disconnected from the present helps me reset—through breathwork, writing, or stillness.
- Ideas are born in stillness and shaped through action: My best ideas come during quiet reflection, then get sharpened through writing, collaboration, and follow-through.
- You don’t have to separate the mission from yourself: Doing what the work needs and what your body needs are not in conflict—they’re inseparable for long-term impact.