Hello, I’m Rita Kakati-Shah. Welcome to my website!

I’m an entrepreneur, businesswoman, and lifelong community volunteer, who is passionate about my family, and the world we live in. I was born and raised in London, have heritage from Assam, and live in New York City. I’ve spent more than two decades leading teams, advising corporations and policymakers, and empowering future generations and leaders through keynote talks, trainings, and mentoring.

I am an honoree of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden for demonstrating a lifelong commitment to voluntary service and recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Samman Award presented at the Houses of Parliament in London. I have also been named one of the top Global Women in Leadership by the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and am a three-time winner of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and judge for the Middle East Awards. I am also a Distinguished Alumna of King’s College London, have served on the Advisory Council of King’s Business School, and am the inaugural Executive President of the King’s Business School International Alumni Council. 

I care deeply about gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and thrive on creating cultures of belonging where everyone feels valued. As a former finance and healthcare professional, I founded Uma in response to my personal journey, to empower unshakable confidence, inspire success, and build leadership and resilience in women and minorities around the world.

My goal is to empower others to feel empowered, confident, and have that inner “Goddess of Go-Getting” shine through!

Learn more about the work I do below and stay up-to-date with my research articles and books. In particular, The Goddess of Go-Getting: Your Guide to Confidence, Leadership, and Workplace Success, which launched on International Women’s Day became a best-seller!