My name is Michelle Dhansinghani and I live in Washington, DC. I’m from the great state of Texas originally from the Rio Grande Valley. I’m currently the CEO of Elan Strategies, a fundraising firm working with national non profits to build a pipeline into corporate America.

Me being a CEO

My family and my why.

Besides where I live, what I do (which I do incredibly well) — I’ve defied basically every stereotype that society has placed on anyone that looks like me or comes from my background. I struggle with this often. Why me? Is it because of luck, hard work, or maybe a combination of both. I don’t know but I don’t want to continue being the only one. I want to ensure that I’m pulling other people up with me.

University of Texas 2012 Graduation — This is what a first gen college student looks like..

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Class 2010 with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor aka my shero.

I’ve had a pretty cool life — starting off in Texas, moving to the most powerful city in the world — Washington, DC, living all over Latin America, and traveling on my first solo trip to Thailand. Along the way I got to meet some neat people like Hillary Clinton, Tory Burch, Edward James Olmos, and all of the 2016 presidential candidates — it was a wild year. And I’ve navigated the most powerful institutions and every time I looked around the room — I was usually the only woman in the room and if that wasn’t the case…I’m always the only woman of color.

With Senator Hillary Clinton at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2016 Presidential Q&A Series

Tory Burch Foundation Fellows with powerful entrepreneurs from across the country.

I want to use this space to talk about the things I know best and the things that get me fueled to get out of bed every morning — fundraising, women in business, diversity and inclusion, public private sector partnerships, all things politics and maybe travel and fashion.

In conclusion, I vow to use this platform to be true to myself, my family, and my community. Thanks for reading! Nos vemos pronto.