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Name: Malini Saba

Business: Stree: Global Investments in Women

Location: New York, New York, U.S.

Industry: Education & Training

Reason for starting? 
I started Stree to help the often underserved women and children across the developing world. I have worked hard and been very fortunate to have the means to make an impact. Women and children are the future and by providing healthcare, educational opportunities and a safe place to live, we are ensuring that their future is bright.

How do you define success? 
Success for me is doing what you love and accomplishing it while smiling everyday. Happiness is true success, which comes from staying true to yourself and doing what you love.

Related: Read about another female entrepreneur giving back here. 

Biggest success: 
Having my daughter is and will always be by far my biggest success to date. She brought everything full-circle for me. I finally understood why I had created the foundation and why I felt so adamant that the world should be a better place.

My philosophy is this: Whatever has happened in the past, you cannot change, whether in business or your personal life. You must always reflect and learn from it. In the end, we are all people on the same path to happiness. Some realize happiness does not come through money or fame, others take a little longer, and the knocks are harder when we don’t realize that early on in life. In the end, its make us better people to live in harmony.

Related: Putting Motherhood First: From Michelle Obama to Entrepreneur Becky O’Neil

What is your top challenge
 and how you have addressed it? The largest challenge we have faced is dealing with government in developing countries in order to have an impact on change. The best way to address critical situations like that is to stand your ground, and continue to push for positive policy and change. Always remember you are making change not for one person but for a community. Your drive is to make sure at the end all these people have the ability to either have better water, secure homes, and better laws to protect them.

I have always kept my personal life and business life separate. A long time ago, I stopped identifying myself through my work efforts. It does not define me. My personal situations never affect my business life either. If something bad affects my personal life, it’s a learning curve emotionally. Business is clearly about the bottom line and personal life is never about the bottom line. They must not mix. If you are a founder of a business, it’s important to never let the two mesh. There must be clear defined borders between the two.

Who is your most important role model? Mother Theresa, she believed in what she was doing, and helped millions with her passion and belief in God. She took positive action for a group of marginalized people while others only talked about it.

[box_light]Website   http://www.malinisaba.com/
Other   www.linkedin.com/in/malini-saba-b8086711a[/box_light]

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Edited by The Story Exchange