Narangidevi Joshi
MPS Class of 2026, Global Development
- Pronouns: She/her
- Grand challenge: Expanding participatory approaches that channel cultural knowledge and creativity into shared, equitable futures.
- Connect: nj329 [at] cornell.edu (Email) | LinkedIn
She founded Narangidevi with the resilient youth of her neighborhood in Mumbai, a social venture that transformed textile waste into craft-inspired products and installations. Later, at Jagriti’s Handicrafts Centre of Excellence in Purvanchal, she mobilized over 500 women across 40 villages, supporting a shift from wage-making to family-run enterprises where artisans grew into entrepreneurs and designers. In her role as Incubation and Research Manager, she specialized in program development and evaluation, business modeling, pricing strategies, design thinking and adaptive leadership workshops, fundraising, and cross-sector partnerships. She also led mapping and documentation of traditional crafts, driving innovation in design, material, and process for business development.
Alongside her development work, Narangidevi has engaged in styling and art direction, handloom production, and communication design. Her interests extend into performance installations and participatory art, like the 108 Women installation in Mumbai, where artisans and audiences co-created space for dialogue and visibility. Her collaborations also extend to global networks like Catalyst 2030 and the Creative Grameen Lab to contribute to knowledge-sharing and ecosystem building.
Now pursuing an MPS in Global Development at Cornell University, she seeks to expand participatory approaches that channel cultural knowledge and creativity into shared, equitable futures.