First Annual “Make a Difference Challenge Grant” Awarded to 2016 Scholarship Recipient Vineetha Mummadi

Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF) last week awarded their first Make a Difference Challenge Grant to Vineetha Mummadi, one of the 11 2016 Scholarship Recipients, due to her passion for improving the lives of women through education. The grant was announced at the FWSF’s 21st annual Financial Woman of the Year luncheon honoring Debbie Messemer, on Wednesday, September 21st, and will continue annually through 2020.

Vineetha will receive $10,000 in grant funds to use on a project of her choice that helps better the lives of women around the world.

The grant was established to honor the memory of FWSF member Lela Jahn (1940-2015), who dedicated her life to teaching and mentoring women in the U.S. and across the globe. Lela, FWSF 2000 Financial Woman of the Year and a Board Member from 2001 to 2003, served on the Scholarship Committee from 2002 to 2015 and supported the Mentor Program for scholarship recipients from 2003 to 2015, combining her passions for teaching, finance, mentorship and the advancement of women.  Her work spanned the globe to help change the lives of women from the urban slums of Brazil, to inner-city Chicago, to a refugee community in Kenya. Each year, the Make a Difference Challenge Grant will allow one young women to do the same, in the locations and areas of change they are personally passionate about.

“It is an honor to be selected as the first recipient of this grant by Financial Women of San Francisco,” said Vineetha. “I am passionate about the education of underprivileged women and, once I’ve had some time to plan it out, I intend to use this grant to change the lives of as many girls and young women as I can so they may gain an education, a career and independence in their lives.”

Each year, the FWSF board will select the Make a Difference Challenge Grant winner from among the scholarship recipients, said FWSF President Darcy Illg.

“We are really excited to have had the opportunity to create a grant, not only in honor of Lela’s memory, but also to continue her legacy,” Darcy said. “This grant provides passionate women, like Vineetha, the opportunity to pay it forward and create something lasting for women around the world. Building women up is what Financial Women of San Francisco is all about.”

Vineetha Mummadi was born and raised in India and, passionate about education, has achieved success in her career as an interdisciplinary engineer. During her career, she has worked as a supply chain engineer in the automobile industry with a background in chemical and energy engineering.

Today Vineetha is pursuing her MBA in finance and accounting at the Mills College Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy, where she serves as both a teaching and graduate assistant. Previously she served as a consultant at non-profit organizations including OaklandWORKS Alliance, which advocates for Oakland’s under-represented communities in economic, social and environmental justice, and Centro Community Partners, which trains underserved, low-income and minority entrepreneurs to start, develop and grow their businesses in Oakland. Post MBA, Vineetha hopes to lead in roles where she can manage and impact financial results in order to add value to the complex manufacturing sector and the associated supply chain. She also hopes to sponsor at least one girl’s lifetime education expenses.  

Vineetha is one of the 11 2016 Scholarship Recipients who were awarded $90,000 in scholarships to help further their education for careers in finance and financial services.

Vineetha will share her achievements with this grant at the FWSF Financial Woman of the Year luncheon in 2017.