Lakshmi Balachandra
She/Her
I Help Women Leaders Get the Raises and Promotions They Deserve. Negotiation Pro. Conflict Resolver. Pitch Fixer.
MIT Sloan
Harvard University
Available tomorrow
Starting at 3:00 PM UTC
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About
I am super fun (and funny - former comic!!) and I will tell you how it is - what is going on and why - and why it's not you. It's them! Since it's always them, I will help you figure out what you can do to get past them, and win. "Negotiation is the art of letting the other side have your way." - some old white guy said that in the 1700s. I modernize that expression so that it can apply for anyone, not just the old white guys.
Why do I coach?
I have been a teacher/professor for 20+ years. I started teaching in MBA classrooms to share my expertise, but I find that I make a much bigger impact through coaching, in one-on-one settings. I love telling stories when I teach (and coach), because I love hearing stories, which I only get the chance to do through coaching. All of progress is through conversation, and I find coaching - and the resulting conversation - is the best way to make progress for anyone!
Work Experience
Innovation Fellow
National Science Foundation
August 2021 - August 2022
Designed and directed innovation and entrepreneurship policy for the Technology, Innovation, Partnerships Directorate
Innovation Fellow
U.S. Economic Development Administration
August 2021 - August 2023
Designed and implemented $60B Tech Hubs program and other Entrepreneurship and Innovation regional support programs, led cross-agency Council for Inclusive Innovation Team on Entrepreneurship Policy
Lecturer
Harvard University
June 2006 - Present
PhD lecturer, recruited to teach Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Improvisation and currently also Entrepreneurship
Professor
Babson College
May 2006 - October 2024
Tenured professor of Entrepreneurship, focus on gender bias, entrepreneur pitches and venture capital investor decision-making
Associate
Citizens Financial Group
June 1998 - November 2000
Associate for $100 Venture Capital investment team of Citizens Bank (Citizens Capital, Inc.). Led due diligence and pitch/plan review for prospective series A and B investments.
Education
Carroll School of Management
PhD, Management - Organizational Behavior
2006 - 2011
Awarded research fellowships from Kauffman Foundation and Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation
University of Chicago
BA, Environmental Studies/Economics
1991 - 1995
MIT Sloan
MBA, With Master’s Research - Improvisation
1991 - 1995
Co-President of Sloan Women in Management, acapella group, wrote a master’s research thesis, created and taught a course on Improvisation for Leadership, hired as faculty at MIT Sloan after graduation.
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