Mentoring & Coaching

Rita has been coaching and mentoring clients from all over the world for more than 20 years. They come diverse backgrounds, are multigenerational, and bring with them a breadth of experiences, cultural perspectives and needs. Rita’s clients include professional women, C-Suite Leadership, parents returning to paid roles, military veterans, survivors of domestic violence, schoolchildren, students and young women in STEM, on topics such as career, leadership, entrepreneurship and business strategy, with confidence and communication being at the core of Rita’s approach. Rita’s advice as a career and business coach has been featured in multiple press and media such as The Wall Street Journal.

Rita’s passion and focus to empower the lives of others has been recognized by US President Joe Biden as an honoree of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Below are organizations that Rita is affiliated with as a mentor:

ACP Veterans: Mentor to ACP Women Veterans and military spouses, nationally (USA)
Bottom Line: Mentor to minority high school students pre-career, New York (USA)
California State Small Business Association: Business Mentor, Los Angeles (USA)
CUNY: Mentor to minority, underprivileged students, New York (USA)
Fisher Business School: Mentor to Ohio State University students, Ohio (USA)
King’s College London: Leadership Mentor (Globally)
King’s Business School: Leadership Mentor (Globally)
King’s Business School: Diversity Mentor, London (UK)
King’s Entrepreneurial Institute: Women Founders Mentor for King’s Entrepreneurial Institute, London (UK)
Mentor to schoolgirls and students (Africa, US, UK, Europe, India, Russia)
New York City Small Business Association: Business Mentor, New York (USA)
NPower: Mentor to minority and underrepresented youths pre-career, New York (USA)
Ormiston Park Academy: Mentor to three Year 11 pupils, as well as group mentor to Y9, 10, 11 pupils, Thurrock (UK)
Sakhi for South Asian Women: Mentor to survivors of domestic violence, New York (USA)
Speaker for Schools: Speaker and Mentor for Speaker for Schools, nationally (UK)
The Prince’s Trust: Mentor to healthcare workers, London (UK)
University of Southern California: LeanIn USC MentorHER program for female students, Los Angeles (USA)

Testimonials

“Rita, the coaching sessions have been simply AMAZING! Thank you! I really feel ready and fully prepared to launch my company now! You gave me so much clarity, curated the sessions to my exact needs, and were so down to earth and easy to work with!”

“Having taken two career sabbaticals to care for my children, this also marks the end of my return to full-time work journey. A special thanks to Rita Kakati-Shah for believing in my journey. Rita, I salute you for your tenacity of purpose and outstanding leadership qualities. Thank you for your words of encouragement and support. I will remain forever grateful!”

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with UMA for my re-joining work sessions. I was paired with Rita, who was so thoughtful, and tailored her approach to my unique career needs and growth. She gave me excellent advice on resume building, networking and interview tips. I wish I had more sessions with Rita as they were so engaging and enjoyable. I look forward to my journey back to work and cannot recommend Rita enough, she’s amazing! Thank you Rita and thank you UMA!”

“Hi Rita, I just wanted to thank you again for all your time mentoring and coaching me! You've given me so many new ideas and perspectives on how to pursue my international business and marketing goals. Thank you again so much!”

“Rita, I want to thank you for your time and helping me to think critically about my value and giving me the confidence to keep moving forward to find the kind of role I was looking for. It can be tough and lonely job searching. Your help, support, and motivation was very welcome and appreciated. That kind of kindness will always be remembered.”

MENTORING & COACHING

Testimonials

Mentee Affiliations