The People's Person

Founder of Hong Kong-based non-profits, community business and the Zubin foundation, Shalini Mahtani opens up to Tina Thakrar about using her personal experiences as the springboard to eradicating social injustice

- Tina Thakrar

Shalini Mahtani has been breaking rules since as far back as she can remember. From fighting for her right to be educated to questioning the Sindhi rituals and superstitions that her family followed to a T, she was always acutely aware of social injustice happening not only with her but also around her. She had a strong voice then and has an authoritative one now as a proponent for diversity, inclusion, and social equality in Hong Kong and Asia.

Shalini is the founder of Community Business, a nonprofit focused on corporate social responsibility in Asia, and The Zubin Foundation, an organization that works to uplift Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities through social inclusion. She powers through every cause she takes up, which has a lot to do with her own personal hardships and family background.

Hong Kong-based Shalini hails from the prestigious Harilela family, often dubbed one of the richest Indian families in that part of the world. Her grandfather George Harilela had seven children, one of whom is Shalini’s mother who married into a Mahtani family. Even today, Shalini distinctly remembers hearing her mother recite the Satyanarayan Katha every full moon night and gorging on Sai Bhaji, Koki and Mithi Loli.