Meet Shweta Bhardwaj, City Year Greater Boston’s New Board Chair
City Year Greater Boston is thrilled toshare thatShweta Bhardwajhas been named as the organization’s nextChairof the Board.A partner at Bain & Company with over 21 years of experience in management consulting, Shweta brings a powerful combination of strategicexpertise, deep community roots, and a lifelong passion for educationaladvancement.
A Natural Fit, Years in the Making
Shweta’s connection to City Yeardidn’thappen overnight. Over the course of her career in Boston, she built meaningful relationships with longtime City Year champions,including mentor DianeLedingham,who introduced her to galas, leadership breakfasts, and service events over the years. Through pro bono consulting engagements, she worked directly with City Year Greater Boston on its post-pandemic three-year strategy, giving her an up-close view of the organization’s mission, model, and impact.
“I’ve had a long history with City Year,” she reflects. “I admire the organizationandwas very close to mentors who felt strongly and passionately aboutit,so it was a very natural connection and fit for me.”
When the time came to deepen her nonprofit involvement, Shweta said she was looking for an organization that was doing meaningful work, where she could contribute beyond financial support and bring her strategic skill set to the table. “City Year checked every box.”
The Personal Why
For Shweta, the commitment to educationalopportunityis deeply personal. The daughter of immigrants from India, she credits a strongpublic schooleducation with giving her the foundation to thrive.
“English was not my first language,but I gravitated towards it easily. I loved my teachers. The opportunities I was given were just phenomenaland I’d love for every student to have access to that.”
During our conversation, Shweta spokethoughtfully about thereal challengesteachers face,managing classrooms ofmore than25 students, each at a different academic and emotional starting point.She shared that this reality is exactly why she believes so strongly inCity Year’s near-peer mentorship model.
“Some of our students are at different places academically, but some ofit issocial and emotional learning. The near-peer mentorship model,one that both motivates and supportsstudents,is the right model to give students who just need that incremental support, in a way that’s really going to resonate with them.”
What She’s Bringing as Board Chair
Shweta’s superpower, as she describes it, is the ability toidentifythebig questions an organization shouldbe askingand thenbreak thosechallenges down into actionable steps.
“My instinct is to think a few steps forward,” she says. “How are we going togrow? How do we prioritize the work in front of us? How do we lean into the impactwe’rehaving and influence it for thebetter? I like to take thosebig problems and make them feel lessdaunting.”
Looking Ahead:Expanding Impact
When asked about her vision for City Year GreaterBoston over the next few years, Shwetadoesn’thesitate. She wants to see the model expand,more AmeriCorpsmembers in more Ƶ acrossBostonandbeyond,and she wants to invest in what comes next for thosemembers after their service year.
“I think it’s a flywheel,” she says. “The more talented corpsmembers webring in, the more impact we can have on students. And then they go out and do wonderful things in theworldandsome comeback to Ƶ as highly qualified teachers, and others continue to support the organization. That’s what I want tobuild.”
She’sequally excited about initiatives like theteacherpathway program, which she sees as a naturalbridgebetween City Year service and a lifetime of impact in education.
We’regrateful for Shweta’s strategic vision, warmth, and deep commitment to students as she serves as our BoardChair. Her leadership and partnership help strengthen City Year’s work to ensure every student has the support they need to thrive.
Interested in learning more abouttheCityYear Greater BostonBoard?Visit/boston/leadership/board.
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