PROGRAM

Sujatha Sebastian is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Her interest in public policy developed her first summer after college when she worked as a public school teacher in Managua, Nicaragua. She returned to Latin America several times living in Cuba, Guatemala, Brazil, and Chile. In each country she studied different public policy issues including education, health, human rights, access to justice and economic development. She returned to the United States in 2006 where shebegan to work in microfinance with Trickle Up, an international NGO that offers microgrants to start businesses She has interned numerous times in her career, including with the Clinton Global Initiative and the International Center for Transitional Justice. She has also collaborated with the Global Emergency Group—a human rights consulting group; Ushahidi Haiti—a crisismapping, humanitarian rescue group; and Mobile Metrix—a market research social enterprise based in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2010, she landed in Brooklyn with the Business Outreach Center (BOC). For over 15 years, BOC has used a grass-roots approach to building community relationships, leveraging knowledge, and bridging access to capital for New York City’s small business owners. As BOC’s Women’s Business Center’s Director Sujatha works with female, immigrant, and refugee populations to launch and grow successful small businesses. BOC offers free business counseling in 9 languages, as well as small business workshops, and access to microloans (ranging from $500- to $50k.)