Uthara Narayanan, the Co-Founder and Chief Changemaker of Buzz Women, brings over 15 years of experience in women’s empowerment and community-led development. She co-founded Buzz Women in 2012, with a mission to empower underserved rural women through financial and social training, enhancing their decision-making, leadership, and economic capabilities.

Uthara’s journey in the sector includes consultancy roles with leading organizations like the UNODC and Accountability Initiative, where she worked on anti-corruption and panchayat finance projects. Her deep understanding of grassroots challenges has been key to Buzz Women’s transformative work, impacting over 600,000 women across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

Uthara holds a B.Com, ICWAI certification, and a Diploma in Youth Development, all of which inform her strategic leadership at Buzz Women. She has developed innovative programs focused on financial literacy, business development, and leadership for women, with results showing that 79% of participants have cultivated savings habits and 69% have grown their enterprises. Under Uthara’s leadership, the organization has expanded its model internationally to countries such as The Gambia and Georgia, positioning Buzz Women as a global player in women’s empowerment.

Driven by a passion to create lasting change, Uthara has nurtured over 10,000 local female leaders, known as Gelathis, who drive community-level change. Her long-term vision is to scale Buzz Women’s reach to 1 crore women across 62,000 villages in India by building a robust network of local changemakers. Uthara’s leadership and dedication to women’s economic empowerment have been recognized through her selection as an Acumen Fellow and her advisory role in the Acumen Academy.As a Motwani Jadeja Impact Fellow, Uthara aims to use the fellowship to deepen global connections, build partnerships for Buzz Women’s expansion, and advocate for increased funding for women’s empowerment. Her goal is to further scale Buzz Women’s impact, ensuring that rural women are at the forefront of social and economic transformation.