Smita Shah on Founding the Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi Luncheon
Smita Shah is a member of the Board of Directors of a wide range of organizations, such as After School Matters, Museum of Science and Industry, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, as well as, the Chicago Plan Commission. She is the Chief Executive Officer and President of her technology and project management company, SPAAN Technology. The firm has its headquarters in Chicago, and it has an annual revenue of 10 million dollars.
Smita started the firm after graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The firm now has more than fifty employees, and it was involved in a joint venture worth $14 million. The venture aims to create electrical systems that would be used for navigation lightings as well as aids for a new runway. Smita Shah is highly devoted to nurturing innovation as well as entrepreneurship. As such, she advocates for the growth of small businesses and startups so as to promote upcoming industries and community businesses.
Over the years, Smita Shah has been a recipient of a number of awards, and her company was ranked number 1821 by Inc. Magazine in the 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Smita Shah is a US ambassador for the APEC Women and the Economy Forum. She also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
The Annual Mahatma Gandhi Luncheon
Smita Shah serves at the Delhi-Chicago Sister Cities International Committee as the chairperson. She attended the annual Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi luncheon together with Senator Dick Durbin, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the Chief Executive Officer of World Business Chicago, Andrea Zopp, and First Lady Amy Eshelman.
The luncheon celebrated the fifth year honoring Mahatma Gandhi for being a renowned leader when it comes to civil rights movements. The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi luncheon was started by the Delhi committee in 2014, under the leadership of Smita. Mahatma Gandhi has been an influential individual for a long time in the twentieth century.
Mahatma Gandhi has been an advocate for people from all walks of life, including the disenfranchised as well as the poor. He has also fought for equality causes, education among everyone as well as equal economic opportunities. Chicago city has had many contributions to its development projects over the years from the community of Indian Americans. The community is still involved with the city’s life up to now, and Chicago has developed a strong connection with Delhi since 2001. Learn more: https://wgnradio.com/steve-cochran/solving-engineering-riddles-meet-smita-shah/
Additional Information
Smita Shah is married to a successful and renowned international strategy advisor, Maarten de Jeu. He is also highly experienced in corporate development and the founder of SVM Business Advisory. He is an alumnus of the University of Oxford with an MBA (Master of Business Administration) as well as Leiden University, where he graduated with an MA in Social Sciences, majoring in Public Administration.
Smita Shah’s husband has extensive experience in various sectors, technical skills, an understanding of different cultural settings, and in-depth industry knowledge. Maarten de Jeu has managed many initiatives for international companies in the corporate development sector throughout the United States and Europe.