Neha Patel is SiX’s Co-Executive Director. Growing up in the Midwest (Indiana/Michigan) as the child of immigrants, she believes fiercely in the American Dream—where opportunity exists only if we fight for it on behalf of all of us. This foundational belief led Neha to a lifelong career in domestic and international human rights advocacy. After the 2016 election, Neha recommitted her energy to state-based power building for progressive change.
Over the last 20 years, Neha has worked at the intersection of advocacy and direct service. With a focus on reproductive rights, health and justice among underrepresented and marginalized communities, she has helped those closest to the pain fight for the solutions they know will work best. Her work has included: combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Chicago and NYC, fighting for LGBTQ protections in India, expanding access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in South and Southeast Asia, and supporting local organizations in over 70 countries to build stronger government and civil society institutions. These experiences led her from managing programs in the public health space to building large-scale, people-centered organizations. Neha is a proven organizational development expert specializing in strategic planning, program and operational design, management, business development, partnership cultivation, and communications. Over her career, she has helped organizations raise over $1 billion in revenue for high-impact projects.
Neha holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy (with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health) from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Economics (minor in Psychology) from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two children.