Heads Held High: Launching the Khusi Girls Program
Named after our founder’s mother, Khusi means “joy and happiness” in Bengali.
During the weekend of June 27th, twenty girls in Bolpur, India gathered for the launch of the Khusi Girls program— at the Santiniketan Society for Youth Empowerment, our grassroots partnership.
The first 20 participants of the Khusi girls program arrived with curiosity, courage, and hope. And they left the weekend with something more—new skills, new confidence, and a new community to lean upon.
As one of the girls shared, “Participating in this program taught me how to walk with my head held up high.” Another young leader reflected, “This program taught me skills that I can take with me no matter what I do in life.”
Throughout the programs' first session, the girls learned:
· How to stay organized and manage their time
· How to carry themselves and present with confidence
· How to build networks and community
· How to design and execute new business ideas
· How to defend and care for themselves
The young women also rolled up their sleeves to learn a hands-on craft that is close to home—and heart. Guided by a passion of the President of the Santiniketan Society, Robin Ghosh, the girls learned how to make traditional Indian sweets, of which many recipes are at risk of disappearing over time.
But this part of the curriculum wasn’t just about recipes. It was about reinvention. And opportunity. It is about seeing cultural traditions not as history, but as possibilities. Through these sessions, Khusi's girls saw a powerful example of how tradition, entrepreneurship, and innovation can come together—and how something nearly lost can give rise to something entirely new. It largely exemplifies the learnings that Khusi herself, instilled in her own girls.
This is what Khusi Girls is about. Empowering young girls with confidence and skills that give them the capability to, in their own words: “move forward in life” while remaining centered in who they are. It reflects a deeper truth that we believe at idealis.: that leadership isn’t pre-determined, and there is no 'one way' to lead others. It’s a capability that we build by staying centered and clear on who we are - and who we desire to be - at our core. The Khusi Girls program is designed to help these young women lead with authenticity and purpose from early in their life - discovering their voice, honoring their dignity and value, and establishing a vision for what’s possible in their lives.
At idealis., we believe that when girls are equipped with the skills and confidence to lead, they don't just shape their own futures—they shape the future of their communities, the companies they might work for, and the world. That's why we have committed 1% of our revenue to help cultivate the next generation of human-centered leaders in our world.
We’re honored to walk alongside them, and we can’t wait to share more stories from the journey ahead.
Read more about the program and its inception here.
About idealis.
Founded in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in the industry, idealis. exists to bring more humanity to work. Through data driven, human-centered solutions, idealis helps leaders and companies drive high performance, high humanity cultures to unlock the fullest potential of people at work, and in the world.
For media inquiries, contact: media@idealisadvisory.com
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