SINI STEPHAN

Sini Stephan is a organizational strategist, educator, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) leader with over a decade of experience advancing systems change across public, private, and movement-based sectors. Her work explores the intersections of gender, race, and caste, supporting workspaces to address power and decision making by using data to drive organizational storytelling.

During the Biden–Harris presidential campaign, Sini served as a national speaker for the Malayalee diaspora with South Asians for Biden, Indians for Biden National Council and is a founding member of Malayalees for Social Justice, a grassroots organization committed to advancing the rights of the global majority.

A native New Yorker, Sini has designed and facilitated professional development for city leaders through the NYC Department of Education’s Office of Equity and Access, supporting the NYC GREAT! initiative. Her scholarship in anti-oppression work has been shaped by her experience as an Indicorps Fellow, President of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Association at Seton Hall, and board member of Adelante Student Voices for undocumented youth. Her thought leadership has appeared on media platforms including The Grapevine TV, Brown Girl Magazine, and Her Agenda. 

Using art as a medium for collective liberation, Sini is also a vocalist rooted in Carnatic and R&B traditions and a South Indian classical dancer trained in Mohiniyattam and Kathakali disciplines —classical art forms unique to the state of Kerala, India. Her creative practice informs her approach to leadership, embodiment, and cultural change.