Pooja Pande is a writer, TED speaker, and media leader with over 20 years of experience in publishing and journalism. Her work spans books, essays, and leadership roles in feminist and community-driven media.
Her acclaimed books include:
- Red Lipstick (2016) – a literary memoir of celebrity transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi.
- Momspeak (2020) – a feminist interrogation of motherhood in India.
- The Book of Compassion (2024) – authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kailash Satyarthi, exploring compassion as a transformative force.
Her writing has been published in Himal SouthAsia, the LA Review of Books, and other leading platforms.
Pooja served as Co-CEO of Chambal Media, home to Khabar Lahariya, India’s singular women-run news platform from the North Indian hinterland. Over a decade, she helped build a pioneering model of feminist media led by women from marginalised communities.
Currently, Pooja heads Media & Digital at Breakthrough Trust, a non-profit working to transform gender norms. She leads storytelling, digital campaigns, and media innovation to amplify Breakthrough’s mission of equality and justice.