After leaving a successful corporate career, Sakshi Rana founded Girls-First Foundation and also leads social impact at PW Foundation, helping underprivileged children access education, mentorship, scholarships, and mental health support.
When Sakshi stood before a classroom of children at an orphanage as a volunteer with Make A Difference, she realised something that would eventually change the course of her life. Teaching on weekends brought her a sense of purpose that her corporate career never could. Those few hours spent mentoring children planted the seed for a journey that would eventually lead her to establish Girls-First Foundation and spearhead large-scale education initiatives at PW Foundation (Physics Wallah).
Today, Sakshi is working to ensure that talented children, especially girls from underprivileged backgrounds, are not forced to abandon their dreams simply because they lack financial resources or guidance.
From Corporate Career To Calling
Sakshi’s journey into social impact was anything but conventional. She studied in a government school, came from a humble family, and later pursued a career in business development and project management, spending nearly six years in the corporate world.
Yet something always felt incomplete. “I really enjoyed my weekends teaching children more than my weekdays at work,” she recalled during her conversation with The Logical Indian.
Instead of searching for another corporate opportunity after resigning, she took a deliberate pause to understand what truly motivated her. That decision led her into education consulting, followed by fundraising at Ashoka University, where she witnessed how education could transform lives for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Inspired By Her Own Journey
Growing up, Sakshi wanted to study science but lacked the confidence and guidance to pursue it. Despite scoring well, she chose commerce because no one around her could help her understand the opportunities ahead. That experience stayed with her.
Years later, she recognized that thousands of girls continue to face similar barriers not because they lack talent, but because they lack exposure, mentorship and financial support.
This realisation became the foundation of Girls – First Foundation, launched in 2024 with a simple but ambitious vision: ensure that girls from vulnerable backgrounds receive both financial assistance and the guidance needed to shape their futures.
Building GirlsFirst Foundation
GirlsFirst Foundation began by providing scholarships to girls from low-income families who showed academic promise but struggled to continue their education.
Within its first year, the organization supported more than 50 girls. Today, it continues to expand while adding mentorship as a core pillar of its work. For Sakshi, scholarships alone are not enough.
She believes many first-generation learners simply need someone who can answer their questions, guide them through important decisions, and help them imagine possibilities beyond their immediate surroundings.
This philosophy has shaped GirlsFirst into an organisation that combines financial assistance with long-term mentorship, helping students navigate both education and life.
Creating Impact Beyond Scholarships
Alongside running GirlsFirst Foundation, Sakshi leads social impact initiatives at PW Foundation. Among its flagship programmes is the Summit Scholarship, supporting students from economically weaker backgrounds who secure admission to premier institutions like IITs and AIIMS but struggle to afford higher education.
The foundation also operates learning centres across Delhi-NCR for children from vulnerable communities, providing academic support, digital learning resources and educational materials that supplement government schooling.
Recognising that education also requires emotional wellbeing, Sakshi leads PRERNA, a free mental health initiative that reached nearly 25,000 students through counselling services, awareness programmes and helpline support.
PW Foundation additionally partners with grassroots organisations working in education and rural development, helping them expand their impact through grants and institutional support.
Changing Mindsets, One Family At A Time
For Sakshi, the biggest challenge is often not convincing children but convincing parents. Working closely with families has shown her that many parents, particularly in underserved communities, still struggle to recognise the long-term value of educating daughters.
Helping families understand why girls deserve equal opportunities requires patience, trust and continuous engagement.
While she acknowledges that attitudes are gradually changing across India, she believes real transformation begins when families start viewing daughters not as responsibilities, but as future leaders capable of supporting themselves and their communities.
Looking Towards The Future
Sakshi has ambitious plans for GirlsFirst Foundation She hopes to support around 200 girls through scholarships annually while expanding the mentorship programme to nearly 500 students every year.
The organisation is also working on a skill development initiative for school dropouts and developing a digital platform where students, mentors and donors can track educational progress in real time.
At PW Foundation, the goal is equally ambitious to double the impact of existing programmes by expanding scholarships, learning centres and mental health services over the coming years.
Challenges That Strengthened Her Resolve
Building GirlsFirst Foundation has not been without obstacles. Fundraising remains a constant challenge for a young organisation, and balancing immediate needs with long-term sustainability requires careful planning.
Sakshi also believes students should actively participate in their own educational journey rather than depending entirely on financial aid.
Instead of covering every expense, she encourages shared responsibility wherever possible, believing that ownership helps young people value the opportunities they receive. Her work continues to be driven by one simple belief: talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Sakshi’s journey demonstrates that meaningful social impact does not always begin with formal training in development or public policy. Sometimes, it begins with recognising a gap you once experienced yourself and deciding to ensure others do not face the same barriers.
Through GirlsFirst Foundation and PW Foundation, she is working to create opportunities that extend beyond scholarships, building confidence, mentorship, mental wellbeing and long-term pathways to independence for children from underserved communities.
Her story reminds us that education becomes truly transformative when it is accompanied by guidance, emotional support and the belief that every child deserves the chance to dream beyond their circumstances.
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