Indian film actor and global youth advocate Sanjana Sanghi has been invited to Harvard University on April 18, 2026 to participate in the prestigious Women in Power Conference (WIPC) at Harvard Kennedy School. In a historic line-up for the 2026 edition, titled ‘Power Beyond the Podium: Turning Vision into Change’.
From Bollywood to Harvard: Sanjana Sanghi to head art and advocacy panel at Women in Power conference
Sanjana Sanghi will chair a special arts and advocacy panel and lead an individual ‘Lunch and Learn’ session exploring how cultural expression and storytelling can shape advocacy and policy. The actress joins a powerful lineage that includes Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Smriti Irani and Karisma Kapoor.
Reflecting on her excitement before arriving on the Harvard Kennedy School campus, Sanjana said: “As a young girl growing up in India, being told ‘you can’t’ is a phrase muttered more often than anything else. Transforming ‘you can’t’ into ‘I would like to’ is a strength and conviction that I have only gained courtesy of the powerful women in my life who have allowed me this. I am a part of WIPC’s speaker line-up. I look up to many such women; therefore, I am honored to be included in this.” Such incredible company at WIPC makes me jump with joy! As a highly studious girl throughout school and college, in my mind, Harvard University has always been the pinnacle of greatness, which I have always respected.”
Whereas Sanjana made a permanent place in the hearts of the audience with her memorable debut. poor heartSanghi’s academic and social-impact credentials are equally formidable. As a UNDP India Youth Champion and an education advocate with Save the Children India, the WIPC leadership highlighted that her journey connecting film, youth leadership and global development reflects exactly the kind of ‘Power Beyond the Podium’ that the conference strives to celebrate.
Notably, Sanghi recently created history as the first and only Indian celebrity to partner with the Rockefeller Foundation. Along with Dr. Rajeev Shah, Chairman of the Foundation, she has supported over 100,000 women-led enterprises in rural India. Her work focuses on how clean energy can act as a direct engine for women’s financial independence – a testament to her ability to turn ‘vision into change’.
At Harvard, Sanghi, who has been heralded by the World Bank as a leading voice for youth-led development, is expected to propose that culture and creativity are the true foundation for education equity, youth empowerment and digital inclusion. By sharing the stage with global icons, Sanghi continues to cement his role as a ‘modern academic-actor’, proving that intellectual rigor and global stardom are powerful catalysts for change.
