Shashikala Somanhalli Mahadevaiah
Shashikala Somanhalli Mahadevaiah is an indian technology professional, entrepreneur and social-impact leader with 22 years of experience in IT. She began her career as a developer on telecommunications projects and progressed through roles including Tech Lead, Business Analyst, Project Manager, Senior Project Manager and Presales.
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| Shashikala Somanhalli Mahadevaiah | |
| Born | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | B.E. in Telecommunication Engineering; MBA; Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning; Leadership Programme |
| Occupation | Technology Professional, Entrepreneur, Social-Impact Leader |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Technology leadership, women entrepreneurship, artisan inclusion, accessible AI and social impact |
| Notable works | NAMSANTE community marketplace; AI for Every Mind; Skill-based training for visually impaired children |
| Awards | Naari Shakthi Recognition; Karnataka Awards; Vandemataram Award; Aryabhata International Award; Samvidhan Chakra Padak |
| Parents | |
| Religion | |
Her professional journey includes experience with leading technology organisations such as Cisco, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Wipro. Her education combines telecommunications engineering, business management, artificial intelligence and leadership.
Beyond the corporate technology sector, Shashikala has built an entrepreneurship and social-impact ecosystem through NAMSANTE and Divyang Art Foundation. Her work focuses on creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs, supporting artisans, enabling persons with disabilities, and making technology and AI learning more accessible.
Early Life And Education
Shashikala completed her B.E. in Telecommunication Engineering from Dr. Ambedkar College, VTU University in 2003, followed by an MBA from the University of Bradford in 2012. To strengthen her expertise in emerging technologies and leadership, she completed a certification in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning from IIT Hyderabad in 2018 and a Leadership Programme from IIM Indore in 2024.
Career
Professional Experience
Shashikala started her career as a Developer on telecom projects and moved into technical leadership as a Tech Lead. Following her MBA, she expanded into business and delivery leadership, serving as a Business Analyst, Project Manager and Senior Project Manager, with additional experience in Presales. This progression reflects a blend of software and telecommunications expertise, programme delivery, stakeholder management, business analysis, client engagement and commercial understanding. Corporate Experience includes work with Cisco, Hewlett Packard and Wipro, alongside other technology assignments.
Entrepreneurship — NAMSANTE
NAMSANTE is a community marketplace founded by Shashikala to create opportunities for local entrepreneurs, especially women-led ventures. The platform brings together homemade food, handmade products, handicrafts, gifting and other community-based offerings.
The model is designed to give women and home-based entrepreneurs a route to market, visibility and customer access. NAMSANTE’s public-facing positioning includes categories such as homemade food, handmade products, hamper gifts and return gifts.
Women Entrepreneurship & Artisan Inclusion
A distinctive element of the NAMSANTE journey is its support for Divyang artisans, helping promote and sell their handcrafted products. NAMSANTE has also participated in Divya Kala Mela, a Government of India initiative promoting differently abled artists and entrepreneurs.
Corporate Engagement
NAMSANTE has undertaken corporate gifting work, including a Salesforce corporate gifting opportunity. The supplied profile records a Salesforce Holi event in March 2025 for which return gifts / hamper arrangements were organised. The entrepreneurial model therefore combines market access, women-led enterprise, artisan visibility and corporate gifting.
Social Impact — Divyang Art Foundation
Divyang Art Foundation is a Section 8 organisation established under Shashikala’s leadership to promote inclusion, skill development and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Skill-Based Training for Visually Impaired Children Through the Foundation, Shashikala is working toward providing skill-based training for visually impaired children, with the broader goal of strengthening confidence, digital capability, practical skills and future livelihood opportunities.
AI for Every Mind Alongside Smriti Godman, Shashikala has supported the AI for Every Mind initiative. The programme is designed to make AI learning more accessible to learners with diverse needs, including visually impaired students, speech/hearing impaired students, and learners with ADHD and autism.
The initiative reflects a shift from a charity-only approach toward technology-enabled inclusion: giving learners access to emerging technology, practical skills and pathways for greater independence.
The Foundation’s work is positioned at the intersection of disability inclusion, education, digital skills and employability.
Achievements And Recognition
The supplied profile documents recognitions based on award materials and photographs. It also states that award titles and categories should be matched to the original certificates when used in formal grant submissions.
| Recognition | Year / Event | Recognition / Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Naari Shakthi Recognition | 21 March 2026 | Shashikala received recognition at the Naari Shakthi event. Public records also reference NAMSANTE’s participation in a Naari Shakthi Awards event held on 21 March 2026. |
| Karnataka Awards | 2026 | Shashikala received a certificate and trophy at the Karnataka Awards 2026. Public reporting associated the recognition with NAMSANTE's work in artisan handicrafts, homemade delicacies and preserving tradition through thoughtful gifting. |
| Vandemataram Award | 2026 | Recognised at the Vandemataram Award 2026 event held at Gandhi Bhavan, Bengaluru, for contributions towards women entrepreneur empowerment. |
| Aryabhata International Award | 2026 | Category: Women Entrepreneurship. Awarded at the Annual Aryabhata International Awards ceremony. Photographic evidence shows Shashikala receiving the honour. |
| Samvidhan Chakra Padak | 2026 | Conferred for contributions to women empowerment and grassroots entrepreneurship. Presented on 25 April 2026 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru, as recorded in the framed citation. |
Further Recognition and Public-Facing Achievements
| Achievement | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Naari Shakthi Recognition | 21 March 2026 | Recognised at a Naari Shakthi event. Supporting photographs document the award presentation, while public listings also reference the event. |
| Karnataka Awards | 2026 | Received recognition at the Karnataka Awards 2026 for contributions connected to artisan handicrafts, homemade delicacies and cultural preservation initiatives. |
| Vandemataram Award | 2026 | Honoured at Gandhi Bhavan, Bengaluru, for efforts supporting women entrepreneurship and empowerment. |
Vission
Vision, Impact & Relevance
A Technology-to-Inclusion Leadership Journey Shashikala’s profile is distinguished by the connection between her corporate technology career and her social-impact work. Her journey can be understood as Telecommunications & IT → Project and Business Leadership → Entrepreneurship → Women Empowerment → Disability Inclusion → Accessible AI & Skill Development. Core Areas of Impact
- Women entrepreneurship and home-based livelihoods
- Artisan and handicraft promotion
- Divyang artisan market access
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital literacy
- Skill-based training for visually impaired children
- Inclusive education and technology access
- Corporate gifting and community enterprise
Current Social-Impact Direction
Through Divyang Art Foundation, the emphasis is on creating sustainable capability rather than one-time assistance: training, skills, technology exposure and pathways toward independence for persons with disabilities.
Professional Positioning & Evidence
The supplied profile presents Shashikala as a technology-to-social-impact leader whose professional experience provides a foundation for entrepreneurship and inclusion-oriented programmes. Professional strengths
- 22 years of experience in IT and telecommunications
- Career progression from Developer to technical and business leadership roles
- Experience in technology delivery, business analysis, programme management and presales
- Entrepreneurship focused on women-led ventures and artisan market access
- Leadership of a Section 8 social-impact organisation
- Use of AI and digital skills to support inclusive education and employability
- Professional education, career history and leadership milestones documented in the supplied profile
- NAMSANTE information covering marketplace activities, women entrepreneurs, artisans, corporate gifting and events
- Divyang Art Foundation and AI for Every Mind initiatives covering disability inclusion, AI learning and skill development
- Award photographs and framed citations supplied as supporting evidence
- Public-facing achievement references documented in the supplied source profile
Vision, Impact & Relevance
A Technology-to-Inclusion Leadership Journey Shashikala Somanhalli Mahadevaiah brings together 22 years of technology and project leadership with women-led entrepreneurship and a growing social-impact mission focused on disability inclusion, AI accessibility and skill development.
Her work demonstrates a transition from corporate technology expertise to purpose-led enterprise: creating market access for women and artisans through NAMSANTE while developing technology-enabled inclusion through Divyang Art Foundation. Core impact pathway
- Technology leadership and professional delivery
- Women-led entrepreneurship and community marketplace development
- Artisan inclusion and product visibility
- Disability inclusion through structured skill development
- Accessible AI and digital learning
- Employability, confidence and pathways toward independence