Shilpa Alva, Founder and Executive Director, ran Surge for Water for six years while still working full time in the corporate world. Nights, weekends, whatever hours she could find. She founded the organization, built the first programs, managed the early board, and kept it all moving without ever fully stepping in.
When she finally left the corporate world and committed to Surge completely, the organization doubled and tripled in size within a couple of years.
In this episode of Missions to Movements, Dana Snyder sat down with Shilpa to talk about what it takes to find a distinct story in a crowded cause space, how a board member’s honest feedback changed the way she thinks about her own role, and what 15 years of building an international nonprofit really teaches you. If you have ever wondered whether showing up publicly as a leader is worth the time and energy, this conversation is for you.
