Gayatri Agnew is a bundle of common sense, keen insights, paths less traveled and projects unimagined, all mighty successful. Currently the Corporate Philanthropy Director at Walmart Corporation in its headquarters town of Bentonville, Arkansas, Gayatri has already run for the state legislature for a seat that has never had a Democrat, a woman or a person of color – and set a new record for votes for all the above. In that race, she contested the prohibition of women using campaign funds for child care, and the courts gave political moms everywhere one of the first major court victories clearing the way for women candidates to hire safe sitters while they campaign. This last May, she launched a new approach to Mother’s Day – Mother’s Monday, the day after mom’s have been treated to their breakfast in bed...the day they have to go to work and be reminded of how little has changed for working moms. As an Indian American, she also has been an insistent advocate for more women of color on the front lines of politics: a job she considers another one of her five fulltime jobs.

Early in NWPC’s trainings around the world, Gayatri was one of the first young trainers to head into the Middle East after 911 to train Arab women to run for Parliaments, and the winner of many awards for her trail-blazing good ideas come true.